Dream Balm – aromatherapy in a tin

What’s a Dream Balm? I often get asked this question when people check out my products and come across this Lovely in an aluminum tin. Quite simple! A Dream Balm, or a Tranquility Balm, as I sometimes like to call it, is aromatherapy in a solid form.

The balm is an effective way to utilize the power of pure botanicals for aromatherapeutic uses: rub on the temples or under the nose to ease tension headaches, ease into sleep or a state of calm, relieve anxiety and stress, use in ritual manner to induce a state of relaxation. I find this an incredibly effective balm for all of these reasons, and more.

It can also be used as a lip balm or body balm. And it is certainly safe for children. In fact, children love the nighttime ritual of a scented balm to ease them into dreamland. It is perfectly safe for babies, especially those infants who get fussy at the dinner hour or at bedtime. Just rub a little onto their temples or perhaps a little dab under the nose. You may even treat patches of dry skin or eczema on children, babies, and adults with this great skin salve.   

The base of the Dream Balm itself is made from nourishing natural oils and waxes (beeswax). Safflower and sunflower oils, are not clogging and have a nice consistency and shelf life. The oils have been infused with organic herbs, including lavender, chamomile, rose, and mugwort. Rosemary oil extract & vitamin E are added as potent anti-oxidants to protect the balm.

Chamomile provides wonderful anti-inflammatory action (topically) and has aromatherapeutic qualities all by itself. It’s a remarkable, calming herb that not too long ago deserved a post all its own.
Lavender is one of my absolute favorite herbs for all reasons, and its aromatherapeutic, calming activity is well-established. Topically, lavender is an analgesic, which means that it helps relieve pain. Lavender is a wonderful herb and essential oil for topical application to scrapes, insect bites, and burns, and I include it in my All-Purpose healing salve. Need I say more? The balm smells strongly of lavender.
Mugwort is a wonderful herb that grows everywhere here in the NorthEast, favoring waste places and empty lots. However, it’s an herb with an old history as a “dream herb”. People would hang it over their beds to bring good dreams at night, and the dried herb has traditionally been stuffed into dream pillows. I have a special love for this fragrant member of the Artemesia family.
Rose imparts a feeling of comfort and well-being, lifting the spirits and easing the mind. It’s a romantic touch to the Dream Balm, and a welcome addition.

Once again the balm is an excellent, alll-purpose body salve, so you can *certainly* use it to soothe the skin, including insect bites, scrapes and scars, dry skin, and eczema conditions. Lavender is excellent on burns for its analgesic properties, as noted above. The infused chamomile also makes the balm anti-inflammatory. So I tend to think of it as a medicinal balm that also has aromatherapy — these plants give us gifts from all angles, as you can see.

SALE! In honor of the lovely Dream Balm, you can purchase a nice 5 oz container of it in my Etsy store right now for $11 ($3 off!). This size tin will last a long time and travels well. You’ll love it!

Top 50 Blogs for Learning about Herbalism

Yeah for me! Lilith’s Apothecary ~ this blog ~ was recently listed as one of the Top 50 Blogs for Learning about Herbalism, much to my delight. The blogger, Rachel Davis, divides her list of blogs up into categories of  1) General, 2) Farming, 3) Herbalists, 4) Herbalism & More, 5) cooking, 6) Medicine. The final category of blogs is where my own appears. There are lots of great blogs to check out on this list, and some great new discoveries for me include:

1. The Herbwife’s Kitchen, a blog written by a traditional Appalachian community herbalist based in West Virginia
2. Herbs from the Labyrinth, a blog from a community herbalist out in Lancaster, PA, about an hour outside of Philadelphia.
3. Rosemary’s Sampler, a lovely blog from The Rosemary House, a charming establishment in Mechanicsburg, PA, and a place I’ve been wanting to go for years. They often have great little workshops and herbwalks with well-known herbalists such as David Winston.
4. The Medicine Women Gather: five herbalists from the Pacific NW gather to share recipes, wildcrafting, and the gifts of the earth.
5. Joseph Alban: an acupuncturist in NY who teaches us acupressure points to use for ourselves and our children, as well as other info about chinese herbs, etc.

Share some of your favorite herb-themed blogs with me! I’ll write a future post on some of the most useful herb blogs, including those by Michael Tierra & Leslie Tierra, Stephen Foster, and other master herbalists. Michael Tierra just blogged about Richo Cech, a “plant whisperer” and author of The Medicinal Plant Grower.

Herbal Remedies Tip #4 – Tooth Powder for natural mouth care

There are plenty of natural or slighly-more-natural-than-Crest toothpastes on the market, but many of them still contain ingredients such as chemical foaming agents like sodium laurel sulfate (SLS). While most of us can (and do) withstand constant contact with sulfates, some people develop allergies such as contact dermititis, which can sometimes lead to more severe skin infections because of broken skin. If you do have an allergy to SLS, you should by all means avoid this allergen as dermititis and broken skin can lead to vulnerability to MRSA infections.

I have no allergy to SLS, per se, but I also like the fact that you can treat various mouth problems with herbs. The power of cloves was recently driven home to me when at my stepmother’s dental practice. I had a cavity (hey! from when I was 18!) refilled three times with a modern filler and I experienced continual discomfort and pain for months, both during and between repeated efforts. Finally, they dusted off the clove oil filling and at last! Pure comfort. It was also nice to have the aroma of clove oil surround me during the procedure. For whatever your reason, you might want to experiment with creating your own tooth powders or trying herbal tooth powders that are already sold by successful etsy sellers such as Joyful Girl Naturals

Herbal tooth powders have been in use for centuries in one form or another, and modern blends contain ingredients such as baking soda, herbs such as chamomile (soothing, anti-inflammatory), sage (strongly astringent), cloves (pain relieving), goldenseal (antibiotic), marshmallow root (anti-inflammatory, demulcent), myrrh (healing), plantain (healing and demulcent). Sage, which some call the “tooth herb” can even be used fresh to treat conditions like gingivitis.

Try this recipe at home in your own kitchen, using a VERY clean coffee grinder to grind dried herbs into a powder. (It’s actually best to own a coffee grinder that you have on hand for grinding herbs and grains). You can also purchase dried organic herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. Baking soda whitens your teeth and freshens breath. Sea salt tightens the gums, peppermint oil and/or tea tree oil fights bacteria and adds refreshing flavor.

2 Tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp finely ground sea salt (not table salt)
1/4 tsp powdered sage
1/4 tsp powdered myrrh (or substitute another herb depending on your needs)
3 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix the ingredients (through a sieve preferably) and store in an airtight container. Use half a teaspoon each time you brush. You can sprinkle the powder on your toothbrush, or make a paste using water, botanical hydrosols, or ingestible natural aloe vera.

 

Immune Boosting Herbs talk @ Holistic Moms Network meeting

 

herbs

Tonight I had the pleasure of presenting about the use of herbs to fight colds and flus, particularly with regard to the treatment of small children. The presentation was delivered to a local chapter of the Holistic Moms Network. It’s fun presenting to the choir, more or less, as this group is made up of parents who are interested in holistic health & living in all respects. And such a lovely group of people, dads and moms alike!

We were able to talk about the energetics of foods and herbs, the use of preventative versus acute herbal remedies, and dosages for small children & infants. I am again reminded of how wonderful it is to share knowledge and information about our botanical allies, and of course giving such talks only reinforces that for me. I was reading a bog post on ProBlogger this morning about weighing the cost-benefit of speaking at events for free. In other words, what’s in it for the business? For some people, attending a far away conference to speak without compensation means that they have to figure out why the trip would be worthwhile, whether through contacts, networking, or business sales. I definitely identify with that when I think about my ‘day job’ in Public Health. I also make decisions like that when it comes to my business, Lilith’s Apothecary. But when it comes to herbal medicine, if I can afford it, I am more than happy to participate in any way I can. It’s true that I do indeed have an herbal bath and body business of sorts, but I don’t educate about herbs because I want to sell products. In fact, I hardly even indicated that I have a business tonight. Instead, I want others to learn how to make the products for themselves! Sure, I can make it for you if you don’t have the time or desire (i.e. I can’t sew, so someone has to sew things for me!), but if you want to make your own herbal syrup, by all means! Let’s do it. And doing it together is so much fun.

Holistic Moms Network
NJ/Philadelphia Chapter
Collingswood, NJ 
Thanks for having me!

Other posts that may be of interest:
What to do about H1N1: 5 Tips
Nervous About Swine Flu? Look to Herbal Medicine for Immune Boosting
DIY Remedies for the Cold Season Part I
DIY Remedies for the Cold Season Part II
Herbal Facial Steams for the Cold and Flu Season

What to do about H1N1 flu? 5 Tips

Winter Spirit Immuni-Tea

The “novel H1N1 Flu” (aka “swine flu’) is a new strain of H1N1 virus that is affecting communities all over the world, thus, it is labeled as a ‘pandemic’. That label does not mean it is particularly dangerous or threatening, as was once feared. On the contrary, H1N1 is a bit on the wimpy side so far. (That doesn’t mean it will stay that way, but for the time being…). I was listening to a physician-vaccine expert on NPR this morning and he was referring to all important public health measures for flu prevention, but neglected to mention anything related to nutrition or herbal supports in our arsenal against flu, both in terms of prevention and treatment.

First of all, it is worth noting that unlike colds, considered in Traditional Chinese Medicine to be energetically cold in origin and thus requiring ‘warming’ treatments and herbs such as the use of diaphoretics to increase sweating (elder flower, ginger) and the use of sweating therapy to help our bodies fight viruses, flus are considered in TCM to be energetically hot. This is significant in that we would thus not use diaphoretics, but other potent anti-virals that will help reduce fevers, lessen severity and shorten severity. Herbal treatments in this camp would include boneset, a potent anti-viral; echinacea, an immune stimulant; and herbs used in Chinese medicine in flu-fighting formulas, such as forsythia, honeysuckle, and red clover. Astragalus is often mentioned as an immune booster, and it certainly is, but we use astragalus for preventative means and not for treatment of acute infection. In addition, there was an intriguing comment on a previous post about the use of medicinal mushrooms being contraindicated with the treatment of flu because of the possibility of some strains of flus causing excess immune response in the form of ‘cytokine storms’.

Shiitake: Fungi MB

Master herbalist Michael Tierra,  clinical herbalist, educator, and a founder of the American Herbalists’ Guild (AHG),  recently addressed this possible misconception in a seminar about the use of herbs to treat H1N1.  It appears that cytokine storms, or the theory of an overly strong immune response of some healthy adults, is not so much to blame in flu-related deaths, but rather, bacterial co-infection. Indeed, cytokine storms may not really be responsible at all. And just today there were reports that one third of H1N1 deaths to date were not a result of the flu itself but of bacterial co-infection. For this reason, I am not convinced that medicinal mushrooms such as shiitake, reishi, and maitake should be put aside in the therapeutic treatment of flu– and at the very least, they certainly offer immune-boosting potential. You might check out a lovely recipe posted by the latest Herb Companion issue that utilizes shiitake, astragalus, and garlic in an immune-boosting winter soup.

Astragalus: Mountain Rose Herbs

TIPS TO PREVENT & TREAT THE FLU

1. Follow public health measures: wash your hands, cough into your inner elbow, and use anti-bacterial hand sanitizer in public places whenever necessary. Whether or not to get the vaccine is up to you. That said, vaccine manufacturers don’t claim that the vaccine will actually prevent flu, per se, but will just shortens the flu’s duration by 1/2-2 days and may decrease severity. Make an informed choice and it will be the right choice for you.  

2. Get some REST: Putting America’s obsession with business aside is a tough task for most, but realize that the less sleep and relaxation you get, the more vulnerable you’ll be! If you actually do get the flu, make sure you rest and don’t try to work through it. You’ll only end up more sick and vulnerable to nasty bacterial co-infections.

3. Plan to Stay at Home if you do get flu. Check out resources for sheltering-in-place and have some herbal and nutritional supplies stocked up ahead of time (maybe some extra soup frozen, some herbal syrups made, some tinctures all tinctured up, some herbal blends made both for tea and facial steams).  Vitamin C is better as a flu preventative than a treatment, but raw garlic is a powerful anti-viral remedy to take as soon as symptoms start to appear. Check out some earlier posts about such herbal remedies and recipes.

4. Take Astragalus syrups, formulas, soups, or capsules as a preventative measure. Along with immune-boosting soups, stews (both of which you can add astragalus root to), take astragalus or Jade Windscreen (TCM formula containing Astragalus) to help prevent the onset of flu. Stop taking if acute infection shows up. Tierra’s Planetary Herbalsmakes an alcohol-free glycerite of the Jade Windscreen for children.

5.  Fight Flu with Nutrition and Herbs: Use non-diaphoretic, immune boosting, anti-viral herbs to shorten the duration and decrease severity of flu symptoms, as mentioned above. Eat therapeutic foods such as kicharee, soupy grains, and easy to digest foods. Raw foods, particularly vegetables, are eliminating and difficult to digest, and thus are not recommended to fight flu. Tierra believes that fruit juices have the wrong energy for fighting flu, and thus recommends warm stocks and broths, kicharee and herbal teas and decoctions. Miso soup with onion and garlic (added at the end) is another great choice, as the miso provides assistance with digestion and keeps gut flora up to snuff.

Natural Remedies Tip #3 – Hydrotherapy with Salts

Hydrotherapy, or the use of water as therapy, involves the practice of purifying the body, whether in terms of detoxification or ritual purification, and has been in practice for millenia. The Romans and Greeks utilized water-based cleansing and bathing rituals, building elaborate bath houses and saunas, as have many other cultures throughout history. Water itself is seen as sacred in many mythological traditions –so much so that its use for deep cleansing is probably universal. Using water through the use of baths, saunas, steams, or rubs increases circulation of blood & lymph and helps the body detoxify by increasing perspiration.

Using salts, whether epsom, sea salts, or mineral-rich dead sea or himalayan salts can enhance the detoxification process. Salts draw impurities from the body, help heal infections, reduce inflammation, and add mineral content to the body &  aid in cleansing.  Adding salt to a bath replicates natural mineral springs, often seen as sites of healing, cleansing, and transformation. Bathing with mineral rich salts are also wonderfully relaxing and even serve to soften the skin. Salt water baths, all told, are much better for the body than chemically-produced bath bubbles! Below I include two recipes that incorporate the use of salts for your own water rituals.

Cypress & Rosemary Purifying Bath
2 cups Epsom salts or Dead Sea Salts
3 drops cypress essential oil
3 drops grapefruit oil
3 drops ginger essential oil
1 Tbsp whole milk or carrier oil (such as olive)
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Add the essential oils to the milk or carrier oil, mix with the salts, and then add entire mixture to a hot bath. Add the rosemary sprig to gently infuse into the bath water, releasing its fragrance. Soak in the tub for 15-30 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.

Detoxifying Seaweed Bath
1 cup Epsom Salts
1 cup Himalayan, Dendritic, or Dead Sea Salts
1/2 cup dried kelp, dulse or other seaweed
1 cup baking soda (to soften water and smooth skin)

Combine the epsom salts, sea salt, and kelp in a blender and grind into a fine powder. Alternatively, sift together in a flour sifter (this will still be safe for food use because you aren’t using any essential oils). Add mixture to a tub of hot water along with the baking soda. Soak for 20 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.

Check out my Etsy shop for Water Ritual and Dream Journey bath teas, Sea Milk Detoxifying Soak, and other bathing pleasures.

Guest Blogger for Herb Companion: yours truly

I have  really enjoyed reading the herby magazine Herb Companion in recent years and have had fun discovering new recipes, herbal histories, and lots of fun information and resources. It’s great to have the feeling of an herbal community through periodicals, blogs, and web-based information on top of all that book learnin’. Recently, I decided to begin guest blogging for Herb Companion and it’s a lot of fun, as you all know how much I love to share information about herbs, nutrition, and natural body care! Be sure to check out my latest post on wild crafting healing herbs to make your own infused oils and medicinal salves.

DIY ~ Herbal Remedies for the Cold Season Part II

Elder Flower

Ah, here I am sniffling away from a wee cold given to me by my darling 2 and a half year old, Maeve, who is all to0 glad to bring home little daycare germs to share with her family. *sniff*! Well, happily, there are lots of remedies to shorten the length of the cold, as well as to add some relief.  My Winter Spirit blend can help prevent colds but also treats those with slight fevers and benefits the immune system with high levels of nutrient-dense herbs like alfalfa and vitamin rich rosehips, a great source of in Vit C.

Again, among other preventive strategies mentioned in Part I, raw garlic always helps to banish a cold away, and broths or soupy grains made with a stock of simmered onions and garlic is always a good old wives’ remedy, with good reason! Add some ginger for an extra warming, antiviral punch. But raw garlic, steeped in olive oil and used for dipping a bit of bread, is an incredibly tasty, potent remedy.  Herbal Steams using essential oils and herbs are also a great way to add relief, and my post on that subject provides recipes in that direction.

The Best Cold Remedy Soup ever!
1. Combine 3 cups vegetable stock & 2 cups sliced onions (or two sizable onions)sliced
(Simmer the onions in the stock until tender)
2. Add: some sliced carrot & 2 Tbsp shredded fresh ginger root
(simmer for 10 min until carrot is soft)
3. Reduce heat to low and take a little bit of the stock out, whisk in 2 Tbps miso, and return to the soup. Do NOT allow the soup to return to a boil, as this will reduce the enzymic activity of the miso.

My real content of this post, however, is about making your own herbal tea blends to assist you when you have a cold. I’ll start with some of the wonderful herbs that are readily available, such as thyme leaf (antiviral, antimicrobial), elder flowers or berries (immune boosting, 2 antiviral compounds, significant relief for fevers), nettle leaf (the so-called weed that is one of the most nutritious plants available), and ginger (nearly a dozen antiviral compounds; reduces pain & fever; cough suppressant; warming).

The first recipe is for a lovely, incredibly pleasant blend that works throughout the winter months to boost your body’s ability to ward off illness, primarily by strengthening your immune system and nourishing your body:

Herbal Infusion for the Cold & Flu Season: Prevention
1 part alfalfa (nutritive)
1 part nettle (nutritive, adrenal support)
1 part rosehips (nutritive, vitamin C rich)
1/4 part cinnimon (catalyst herb that helps other herbs work ‘better’, warming)
1 part rose (spirit lifting!)
1 part thyme leaf (antiviral, antimicrobial)

Directions: combine the above and use 1 tsp – 1 Tbsp per cup of water. Steep in boiling water for 15- 30 min, strain, drink hot or cold. You can make a mason jar’s worth and just keep it in the fridge, heating it up as needed.

Herbal Remedy for that mean old Cold:
1 part thyme leaf (antiseptic, expectorant, carminative)
1/2 part dried ginger (nearly a dozen antiviral compounds; reduces pain & fever; cough suppressant; warming)
1/4 part lemon peel OR add a slice of fresh lemon to the tea (high in vit C)
1 part rosehips (vit C)
1 part elder leaf/flower (antiviral, helps treat fevers)
1 part alfalfa or nettle (nutrient rich)

Herbal Remedy for that mean old sore throat or cough:
1/4 part marhmallow root or slippery elm (demulcent, throat-coating, soothing qualities; anti-inflammatory)
1/2 part licorice root (demulcent, antiviral)
1/2 part mullein flowers/leaf (expectorant, demulcent, soothing)
1/2 part ginger root (nearly a dozen antiviral compounds; reduces pain & fever; warming)
1/2 part rosehips (vit C)
1/4 part lemon peel OR add a slice of fresh lemon (vit C)

Directions for either of the above: Combine the herbs as directed and use 1 tsp – 1 Tbsp per cup of water. Steep in boiling water for 15- 30 min, strain, drink hot or cold. You can make a mason jar’s worth and just keep it in the fridge, heating it up as needed. Keep in mind that the mucilage in the sore throat/cough tea will make the infusion more viscous. Also feel free to add a touch of herbal honey, especially a honey made with immune-boosting, antiviral herbs.

*Remember that any of these herbs made into a tea provides a valuable remedy. You don’t need to use them all! Simple ginger root and fresh lemon is most often my favorite remedy along with soups and broths. I might start the day with simple thyme & ginger and end it with a more soothing, alfalfa rich, vitamin C stocked blend. Experiment!

Watch out for my Next DIY cold & flu post: Herbal Syups , including my Herbal ‘Mucinex’ Recipe!

Secret Ingredient: Carrot Seed Oil (daucus carota sativa)

Colorful Carrots

The oil derived from Carrot seed (daucus carota sativa) is a premier skin healing, rejuvinating oil. It is this wonderful oil’s high carotol content that gives it it’s reknowned skin-regenerative properties, which is why it is a key ingredient to skin special products such as my Rejenerative Skin Serum and eye creams like my Chamomile and Green Tea Eye Potion. (visit http://www.lilithsapothecary.etsy.com)

Carrot Seed Oil is a thin, yellow oil distilled from ground seeds is rich in Beta-Carotene. Not only beneficial for mature skin, sundamaged skin, or skin that is exposed to harsh weather conditions, it is also valued for its soothing, relaxing properties. Part of its strength is that it not only helps sun spots or other signs of age or damage fade over time, but it also helps to prevent wrinkles from forming in the first place! Look for this ingredient in top class facial care products aimed for skin regeneration or repair.

Try this on for size!

DIY Rejenerative Treatment Oil
* This can be used as a facial treatment moisturizer, make-up remover, or oil cleanser.

15 drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil
10 drops Rosewood Essential Oil
5 drops Geranium Essential Oil
2 Tablespoons Carrot Seed Oil (different from the E.O. ~ an infused or mascerated oil made from the pulp)
4 Tablespoons Jojoba oil or sweet almond Oil

Shake well, store in a dark, glass bottle or jar.

Herbal Facial Steams for cold & flu season

My 'Herbal Delight' facial steam

Ah! One of my dear etsy customers just commented on her use of my herbal facial steams during a recent sinus infection. What a wonderful way to use the healing powers of herbs!

Herbal Steam for cold & flu season:
1 tsp comfrey root
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp sage
1 drop of eucalyptus essential oil (optional) or 1 tsp dried eucalyptus leaves.
1 drop of thyme essential oil (optional)

Directions:
Place the herbs in a small saucepan of water, bring to a boil and then simmer for a 10 minutes, with the pot covered. Take the pot off the heat and add the essential oils. Drape a towel over your head and place your face over the steam, breathing in deeply and moving your head from side to side. Take a break if it gets to be too much. But keep placing your head over the pot for at least 10 minutes total, blowing into the water a little when it starts to cool down in order to direct the steam into your nasal passages. Breathe!

Thyme is a wonderful, handy herb that is also antimicrobial. I regularly drink thyme tea when I am sick or just during the winter to keep my immune system primed. Comfrey root is a healing herb that is also demulcent, so it is soothing to the mucus membranes and other body linings. Sage is astringent, which is often much needed during head colds. Eucalyptus e.o. helps open the nasal passages. I say “one drop” and yes, you could put two drops, but don’t over do it! Essential oils are very powerful, especially in a bowl of hot steaming water. By the way, this would also be a good steam for acne because of its antiseptic strength and astringency (except for maybe the eucalyptus). Don’t forget the ginger & lemon tea for that head cold!